History: Theatre / HowILearnedToDrive

A woman, known to the audience only as L'il Bit, tells a story of her complicated relationship with her uncle. Uncle Peck taught Li'l Bit to drive, as well as a few other things. [[WordofGod According to the playwright]], Paula Vogel, ''How I Learned to Drive'' is "a play about the gifts we receive from the people who hurt us" -- and about control and manipulation. It is possibly the most heartbreaking play about pedophilia and incest you'll ever read or see.

It won the PulitzerPrize in 1998 and was revived OffBroadway in 2012.
----

This play provides examples of:

* TheAlcoholic
* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: As well as grandparents. Li'l Bits' breasts are a regular dinner topic.
* ComingOfAgeStory
* EmbarrassingNickname: Li'l Bit, Uncle Peck, and many other members of the family are given nicknames that refer to their genitals.
* FilleFatale: Averted, though Li'l Bit is accused of being one by her uncle's wife.
* FreudianExcuse: Hinted at.
* GrowingUpSucks: And how.
* HeyItsThatGuy: The original production starred Mary-Louise Parker as Li'l Bit, David Morse (of St. Elsewhere) as Uncle Peck, and comedian Michael Showalter (of Stella and The State) as the Male Greek Chorus. 
** '''Michael Ian Black''': ...Michael [Showalter] was in How I Learned To Drive, which won a Pulitzer Prize. I was in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 
** '''David Wain''': Which won a Tony. [[http://www.stellacomedy.com/website_press/onion.htm ]]
* HotForStudent, arguably, though Peck isn't an official (driving) teacher.
* IncestIsRelative
* NotBloodSiblings: Peck married into Li'l Bit's family. But still.
* OffTheWagon [[spoiler:After Li'l Bit rejects him, Uncle Peck eventually drinks himself to death.]]
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname
* SympathyForTheDevil: Though immoral behavior is not presented as being moral.
* ThanksForTheMammary: A middle school classmate fakes an allergic reaction, and when Li'l Bit asks what he's allergic to, he grabs a handful and yells, "foam rubber!"
* UmbrellaDrink: Lampshaded, in a way: Li'l Bit is strenuously warned against ordering one of these. 
----

Troperville

Tools